The 25 highest-paid coaches in college football

Nick Saban is once again the highest-paid coach in college football.
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As television revenue increases for conferences and the NCAA, and demand increases for schools to compete for national championships, salaries for the head coaches are skyrocketing.

This year we have a new highest-paid coach in college football as Nick Saban has taken the top spot back from Jim Harbaugh.

25. Jim Mora — $3.6 million

One thing to know: Mora was recently fired by UCLA and could be replaced by Chip Kelly.

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24. Kyle Whittingham — $3.7 million

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School: Utah

Conference: Pac-12

Potential Bonus: $935,000

Championships (conference/national): 5/0

One thing to know: In 2004, Urban Meyer left Utah for the University of Florida. Whittingham, who was the defensive coordinator under Meyer, had to choose between being promoted to head coach at Utah and accepting the same position at his alma mater, BYU. He stayed at Utah and is now in his 13th season, having led the Utes to ten bowl games and at least nine wins in each of the last three seasons.

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23. Kirby Smart — $3.8 million

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School: Georgia

Conference: SEC

Potential Bonus: $1.8 million

Championships (conference/national): 0/0

One thing to know: Smart is in his second season as a head coach, having spent the previous eight seasons as the defensive coordinator at Alabama under Nick Saban. Smart is already proving to be a top-level recruiter as the Bulldogs have one of the five best collections of talent, based on recent recruiting rankings.

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22. Mark Stoops — $3.8 million

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School: Kentucky

Conference: SEC

Potential Bonus: $3.1 million

Championships (conference/national): 0/0

One thing to know: Stoops is part of the Hayden Fry coaching tree, one of the most prolific coaching trees in college football history. Stoops played for Fry at Iowa and later served as a graduate assistant under Fry for his first coaching position.

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21. Bobby Petrino — $3.9 million

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School: Louisville

Conference: ACC

Potential Bonus: $1.5 million

Championships (conference/national): 1/0

One thing to know: In 2007, Petrino left Louisville just months after signing a 10-year contract extension, accepting the head coaching job for the Atlanta Falcons. Prior to the 2016 season, he signed a new 7-year deal that has him under contract at Louisville through the 2023 season.

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20. Butch Jones — $4.1 million

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School: Tennessee

Conference: SEC

Potential Bonus: $1.0 million

Championships (conference/national): 4/0

One thing to know: Jones was recently fired by Tennessee. Despite already being under contract through 2018, the Vols gave Jones an extension at the end of the 2014 season and another $500,000 raise at the end of the 2015 season. His contract was set to run through 2020.

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19. Chris Petersen — $4.1 million

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School: Washington

Conference: Pac-12

Potential Bonus: $1.1 million

Championships (conference/national): 6/0

One thing to know: Washington lured Peterson away from Boise State in 2013 by making him the highest-paid coach in the Pac-12, a distinction he no longer holds. But after taking Washington to the College Football Playoff last season, he was rewarded with a new contract that will pay him at least $34.1 million through the 2023 season.

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18. Mike Gundy — $4.2 million

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School: Oklahoma State

Conference: Big 12

Potential Bonus: $900,000

Championships (conference/national): 1/0

One thing to know: Gundy is signed through the 2021 season. However, he does not seem to have the support of the school's biggest booster, T. Boone Pickens. When Pickens was asked if there is rift between him and Gundy, Pickens said, "I don't know, but Mike doesn't handle people relationships very well. And he gets mad about things. I've heard he's written some notes about me that weren't very complimentary."

16. Mark Dantonio — $4.4 million

One thing to know: Despite all his success and building an annual championship contender, Dantonio is just the fifth-highest-paid coach in the Big Ten.

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15. Jim McElwain — $4.5 million

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School: Florida

Conference: SEC

Potential Bonus: $925,000

Championships (conference/national): 0/0

One thing to know: McElwain is another coach who has already lost his job before the season even ended. He was the fifth-highest-paid coach in the SEC in his second season at Florida.

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14. Dan Mullen — $4.5 million

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School: Mississippi State

Conference: SEC

Potential Bonus: $1.2 million

Championships (conference/national): 0/0

One thing to know: Mullen is from the Urban Meyer coaching tree, having served under the Ohio State coach at both Utah and Florida. Mullen has taken Mississippi State to seven straight bowl games, however, they finished the 2016 season at 6-7, his first losing record since his first season.

12. James Franklin — $4.6 million

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School: Penn State

Conference: Big Ten

Potential Bonus: $1.0 million

Championships (conference/national): 1/0

One thing to know: It took a lot of money to lure Franklin away from Vanderbilt and the SEC after Bill O'Brien abandoned Penn State after just two years. But so far it appears to be a good move. After back-to-back 7-6 seasons, Penn State won the Big Ten championship in 2016 and is now a legit national championship contender.

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11. Gus Malzahn — $4.7 million

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School: Auburn

Conference: SEC

Potential Bonus: $1.4 million

Championships (conference/national): 2/0

One thing to know: Malzahn led Auburn to the BCS Championship game in his first season as head coach at Auburn. That earned him an early extension, but Auburn was just 23-16 in the next three seasons combined.

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10. Kevin Sumlin — $5.0 million

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School: Texas A&M

Conference: SEC

Potential Bonus: $1.1 million

Championships (conference/national): 0/0

One thing to know: Sumlin is expected to be fired before the end of the season, which would make him the fourth coach on this list to lose his job this season. With all the wealthy alumni opening their wallets, the rich Texas recruiting pool, and the allure of the SEC, it can be argued that Texas A&M is one of the top coaching jobs in the country. However, after winning 20 games in his first two seasons at A&M, he hasn't won more than eight games in any season since.

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9. Gary Patterson — $5.1 million

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School: Texas Christian

Conference: Big 12

Potential Bonus: not available

Championships (conference/national): 6/0

One thing to know: When Patterson took over TCU in 2000, they were in the WAC conference. Since then, they have moved to Conference USA, the Mountain West, and now into an annual championship contender as a member of one of the lucrative Power-5 conferences, the Big 12.

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8. Tom Herman — $5.5 million

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School: Texas

Conference: Big 12

Potential Bonus: $725,000

Championships (conference/national):

One thing to know: Herman is just in his third year as a head coach and just his first in a Power-5 conference. However, he turned Houston into one of the best programs outside of the Power-5 conferences and now has Texas looking like they are heading back in the right direction.

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7. David Shaw — $5.7 million

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School: Stanford

Conference: Pac-12

Potential Bonus: not available

Championships (conference/national): 3/0

One thing to know: Shaw is now in his seventh season as Stanford's coach after replacing Jim Harbaugh in 2011. Shaw had served as Harbaugh's offensive coordinator after nine seasons as an assistant coach in the NFL.

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6. Jimbo Fisher — $5.7 million

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School: Florida State

Conference: ACC

Potential Bonus: $1.5 million

Championships (conference/national): 3/1

One thing to know: Before becoming head coach at Florida State, Fisher learned under some notable head coaches, serving as an assistant for Bobby Bowden, Nick Saban, Les Miles, and Terry Bowden at different times. Things might have been much different for Fisher if the University of Alabama board of trustees did not reject his contract to become head coach at Alabama-Birmingham in 2007. Nowadays, Fisher says he is glad they did.

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5. Rich Rodriguez — $6.0 million

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School: Arizona

Conference: Pac-12

Potential Bonus: $2.0 million

Championships (conference/national): 0/0

One thing to know: Rodriguez is the highest-paid coach in the Pac-12 despite winning more than eight games just once in his first five seasons at the school.

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4. Urban Meyer — $6.4 million

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School: Ohio State

Conference: Big Ten

Potential Bonus: $775,000

Championships (conference/national): 5/3

One thing to know: After Meyer won his third national championship as a head coach during the 2014 season, he was rewarded with an extension, and yet he is still just the second-highest-paid coach in the Big Ten.

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3. Jim Harbaugh — $7.0 million

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School: Michigan

Conference: Big Ten

Potential Bonus: $1.3 million

Championships (conference/national): 0/0

One thing to know: Of Harbaugh's salary, $2.0 million annually is in the form of an insurance-premium payment by the school on a life insurance policy in Harbaugh's name. According to the Detroit Free-Press, the school gets its money back without interest when Harbaugh dies. However, the death benefit is estimated be worth at least $20 million to his family.

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2. Dabo Swinney — $8.5 million

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School: Clemson

Conference: ACC

Potential Bonus: $1.0 million

Championships (conference/national): 3/1

One thing to know: Swinney was a wide receiver for the 1992 Alabama team that won the National Championship and started his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Crimson Tide. He left for Clemson when Mike Shula became the head coach at Bama.